Heather was actually a product of her time too. Fabian’s father, Mark, came from a well-to-do family, while his mother, Heather, was one of four children in a household struggling to make ends meet. Regardless, Mark married Heather in spite of societal pressure, didn’t he?
Heather was also determined to change the public mindset through her own efforts, so she became a diligent and thrifty housewife with the virtues of a good woman. In time, people became more accepting of the couple.
Heather shuddered involuntarily at what Fabian had just said.
Yes… Fabian’s right, isn’t he? I was a victim too… So why am I repeating the cycle? Why am I forcing it on him? How am I different from those before me? But… what about the Norton bloodline? How can the Norton family go on without an heir?
Heather showed signs of hesitation, but was not entirely convinced yet. The obsession over the lack of an heir still lingered in her mind.
Fabian sensed his mother’s struggles reflected on her face. He rose and approached her, leaned forward ever so slowly, and spoke to her softly.
“Mom, I know you like Hannah. I understand everything that you’ve just told me. You should know, with today’s advance technology, there may be a cure for Hannah’s infertility. Besides, we can always adopt a kid, can’t we?”
Hearing Fabian’s gentle words, Heather recovered from her daze and turned to him.
“Fabian, I know you’ve suffered too, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I know what we’re doing is unfair to Hannah. I can let Hannah have all the assets the company can offer while still running on sufficient support, but I absolutely cannot allow her into the Norton family.”
“Mom, why can’t you understand? Hannah didn’t marry me for the money. If it’s money she wants, she wouldn’t have left in a hurry just because you told her to leave when she wasn’t fully conscious.”
Fabian was not pleased to hear that his mother wanted to utilize their wealth to make Hannah leave him. He felt that bribing Hannah with money was an insult to her character.
After listening to Fabian’s reasoning, Heather agreed that her son had a point. If Hannah was only interested in money, she would surely demand a large sum from Heather after waking up that day, and then she would leave.
Fabian’s response rendered Heather speechless. They had come to her worst fears.
Hannah’s such a kind girl. She doesn’t expect any reward at all for being with Fabian. What else can I say about that?
Fabian spoke again, sulkily this time, “Mom, do you know how much pain Hannah’s willing to endure for me? After finding out she had a miscarriage and could no longer conceive, she chose to leave. And yet I have to be the coward. I’m the cowardly husband who can’t even bring her back.
“Me. Your son, Fabian. How great of a president can I be if I can’t even protect the woman I love? How do I deserve to be the leader of a company when my wife is grieving and yet I choose to run away?
“I abandoned the woman who almost lost her life to save mine, for the sake of the so-called family lineage. How am I worthy of being called a responsible man?”
Fabian paused before continuing, “Think about it, Mom. What if Dad had chosen to leave you because he couldn’t handle societal pressure? How would you feel about that?”
By then, Fabian had gotten onto his knees. He kneeled firmly in front of his mother. “Mom, whether you agree to it or not, I’ll bring Hannah home this time. She can’t give birth, but that doesn’t matter. We can adopt.”
Heather felt heartbroken to see her son kneel in front of her. At the same time, Fabian’s words prompted her to think hard about their conflict. Have I truly done something wrong?
